Related Stories

Topics:

Maybe it's because they themselves have been exposed to so much conflict. According to a recent survey, Israelis are more likely than any other nationality to avoid travel to South Korea amidst escalating threats from North Korea.

Conducted by the worldwide hotel booking organization Hotels Combined, the poll found that 33 percent of Israelis would cancel or avoid travel plans to South Korea under the present circumstances.

Israel enjoys warm relations with South Korea, and many Israelis travel there for both business and pleasure.

From neighboring Middle East countries the number of visitors to South Korea dropped by a comparable 31 percent over the past several months.

By comparison, 17 percent of Japanese were less likely to visit South Korea at this time.

Local travel expert Eyal Segal spoke to the daily Israel Hayom about why Israelis led the world in fear of Kim Jong-Un and his regime:

"When they travel, they want to stay far away from centers of controversy. South Korea has invested large amounts in promoting tourism, including among Israelis, and the program was successful, at least until the recent months in which that progress was stopped."

Segal is confident that once the Korean crisis abates, Israelis will again flock to the peninsula.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates